Dassault Mirage 2000

Dassault Aviation · France · first flew 1978 · fighter

The Dassault Mirage 2000 is a fourth-generation French multirole fighter that revived the tailless delta layout with relaxed-stability fly-by-wire controls.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Low-mounted, delta
E — Engines	1 × turbofan, fuselage-mounted
F — Fuselage	Half-cone fuselage intakes
T — Tail	No tailplane

WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.

Spot it by:

Tailless delta with curved leading edges
Single fin, relaxed-stability fly-by-wire
Half-cone fuselage intakes

Look for the rounded-leading-edge delta wing, the absence of any tailplane, a single tall fin and the semicircular shock-cone intakes flanking the fuselage.

Specifications

The Dassault Mirage 2000 has a length of 14.36 m (47 ft).
It has a wingspan of 9.13 m (30 ft).
Its maximum speed is 2530 km/h (1572 mph).
Typical crew: 1.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

First flown in March 1978, the Mirage 2000 paired a single SNECMA M53 turbofan with a refined delta wing and electronic flight controls, restoring the low-speed handling that earlier deltas lacked. About 600 were built and roughly half were exported.

Variants

Versions include the 2000C interceptor, the 2000N/D nuclear and conventional strike aircraft, the upgraded 2000-5 with improved radar, and export models for India, Greece, the UAE, Egypt, Taiwan and others.

Where you'll see it

A mainstay of the French Air Force and several export operators, the Mirage 2000 has flown combat over Iraq, the Balkans, Libya and the Sahel. While not an RAF type, it is a frequent and popular visitor to UK shows such as RIAT Fairford, often flying spirited solo displays.

Related aircraft

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